Top 5 New Firearm Introductions for 2018 (That we know about…)

Firearms have flown off the shelves for the past couple of years due to panic buying followed by rebates to clear overstocked shelves. That makes 2018 a prime target for new innovation, models, colors, and everything else that makes a shooter’s blood boil and wallet open wide. Here are five new introductions that caught our eyes.

FN 15 Models

The first new additions to the series are the FN 15 Pistols, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO or .300 AAC Blackout . FN’s 10.5- or 12-inch, cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined barrels have a 1:7 twist, with carbine- and pistol-length gas systems optimized to reach the highest level of performance out of each cartridge in terms of accuracy and reliability.

Each AR pistol variant has an M-LOK-equipped rail, fixed low-profile stainless-steel gas block, FN combat trigger weighing in between 4.5-7.75 lbs. and includes an SBX-K Pistol Stabilizing Brace that make these little carbine-caliber pistols a breeze to shoot.

Maintaining the distinguishing features of the FN 15 Tactical series are the 3-prong flash hider found on the FN SCAR rifles that reduces flash, mid-length gas system and H1 buffer that decreases recoil, a B5 grip, buttstock and 12.5-inch P-LOK rail with M-LOK accessory mounting system.

Ruger Security-9 Pistol

Ideal for everyday carry and self-defense, the Security-9 is an affordable, rugged, mid-sized centerfire pistol that provides everyday security in the perfect caliber, size and price point.

Chambered in 9mm Luger and utilizing a 15-round, double-stack magazine, the Security-9 strikes the perfect balance between a compact and full-size pistol. It is small and light enough to be easily concealed and comfortably carried, yet has twice the capacity of slimmer 9mm Luger pistols.

At the range, both new and advanced shooters will appreciate the easy-to-rack slide; short, crisp trigger pull; eye-catching sights; and ergonomic, textured grip frame. The American-made Security-9 is constructed around a rigid, one-piece, precision-machined, aluminum chassis with full-length guide rails; a blued, through-hardened alloy steel slide and barrel; and a high-performance, glass-filled nylon grip frame with an integral accessory rail.

The Secure Action used in the Security-9 is the same as the LCP® II and is derived from the reliable and proven hammer-fired LCP fire control system, combining the smooth trigger pull of the LCP with the short, crisp feel and positive reset of a single action. Safety features include a bladed trigger safety, external manual safety, neutrally balanced sear with significant engagement and strong spring tension, and a hammer catch to help prevent the hammer from contacting the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled.

“The Security-9 is a yet another example of what we do best here at Ruger: deliver new products to the market that combine innovation and value,” said Ruger President and CEO, Chris Killoy. “We expect our customers are going to be excited to buy the Security-9; they will definitely enjoy shooting it.”

The new Security-9 features a 4″ barrel and weighs just 23.7 ounces with an empty magazine. It ships with two alloy steel magazines and a cable locking device.

Springfield 911 .380 ACP

Optimizing the frame-to-slide-to-trigger guard relationship creates handling characteristics unique among small pistols of its kind. Many pocket guns can be hard to handle and unpleasant to shoot, discouraging practice at the range and time on the hip. However, the 911 .380 both shoots and feels like a full-size firearm, encouraging both practice and daily carry in the most concealable firearm that Springfield currently offers. It’s small frame shooting with the familiarity of a 1911.

The 911 .380 carries a crisp, short-reset 5-pound trigger with the industry’s only G10 Trigger shoe produced by Hogue, a differentiating and satisfying feature in such a small pistol. This quick, positive trigger squeezes off repeat rounds with reassuring precision, a key factor in surviving defensive situations. A loaded chamber indicator and hammer provide peace of mind with both visual and tactile cues allowing for various modes of carry.

Designed for life-saving defensive use at close range, the 911 features an ambidextrous safety and is perfectly matched with an Ameriglo Pro-Glo green tritium front sight inside a yellow luminescent circle, and a tactical rack U-notch rear sight with green tritium inside of white luminescent circles. Sighting is designed to provide fast target acquisition to gain the edge in a defensive encounter. The low-profile design ensures a snag-free draw when milliseconds count.

To keep the gun invisible until needed, the frame measures 5.5 inches long and less then 4 inches high, with a smooth profile that’s undetectable under clothing. Springfield’s Octo-Grip texturing on the mainspring housing and front strap allows for a very secure grip without tearing up your clothes while carrying concealed. Additionally, the thin-line grips and mainspring housing are made of G10 by Hogue.

Should need arise, the 2.7-inch precision broached barrel gives this small gun solid accuracy at greater than confrontation distance. A full-length guide rod and flat wire spring enhance control and soften recoil. A flush 6-round and 7-round extended magazine provides great capacity in such a small platform. Two configurations of the 911 .380 are also offered with integrated green Viridian laser grips, making target acquisition all but effortless.

The new 911 is crafted of 7075 T6 anodized hard-coat aluminum, the same material used in combat-ready firearms like Springfield’s renowned SAINT AR-15 rifles and pistols. A brushed-satin, matte-finish stainless steel or black Nitride slide completes the picture. The new Springfield Armory 911 is an ideal carry pistol or backup gun, with the features, quickness and reliability to save lives. When the Police are minutes away and the threat is seconds away…. 9-1-1…When you have to be your own first responder.

Glock 19X

Glock’s first ever “Crossover” pistol, the Glock 19X, combines the best features of two of its most popular and trusted field-tested platforms. The full-size Glock 17 frame and the compact Glock 19 slide have joined forces for the ideal pistol for all conditions and all situations.

“The G19X was developed for the military and is a practical everyday pistol that will do what you need it to do, when you need it to; every time, in every condition,” said Glock VP Josh Dorsey. “Using Glockss combat proven experience with consideration to efficiency, dependability and durability, and through rigorous testing, the G19X stands out above the competition and has the ability to function in harsh climates and all conditions with increased accuracy and ultimate reliability. Our goal was to meet the demanding needs of the military while maintaining our standard of perfection,” said Dorsey. “With proven testing results and fewer parts than our competitors’ pistols, the G19X has maximum efficiency, reliability and is easy to maintain.”

Confidence now comes in a different color with the first-ever factory colored slide. The Glock 19X’s improved nPVD slide coating prevents corrosion, resists chemicals, and stands up against the elements. The pistol comes in coyote color and includes a standard 17-round magazine and two 17+2-round magazines along with a coyote-colored pistol case.

Among the additional design features of the G19X are the Glock Marksman Barrel (GMB) which delivers increased accuracy with enhanced polygonal rifling and an improved barrel crown, no finger grooves, ambidextrous slide stop levers for better versatility, and a lanyard loop.

The aggregate effect of all the G19X design enhancements gives any user the confidence to succeed and survive in all situations. A perfect “Crossover to Confidence”.

The G19X will be available on dealer shelves beginning January, 22nd, 2018.

911 TRP 10MM

Springfield Armory’s most elite production 1911, now available in the potent 10mm cartridge. Two new 10mm TRP Operator models—one with a 5-inch barrel, and a longslide with a 6-inch barrel—deliver tactically proven engineering, greater terminal velocity and now more stopping power.

The TRP (Tactical Response Pistol) line is based on the custom Professional Model that met the stringent specifications to win the FBI’s coveted HRT 1911 pistol contract. Until now, Springfield’s TRP Operator 1911s were available in .45 ACP only. Since its introduction, the TRP has become the standard for serious fighting handguns – a tradition the feature-rich 10mm models continue.

Forged steel frames and slides are precision fitted to Match Grade stainless steel barrels with fully supported ramps. Frames and slides are coated in Black-T, a self-lubricating, highly corrosion resistant finish that is engineered to shield the firearm from the heaviest use and toughest conditions. Integrated three-slot accessory rails allow rock-solid attachment of lights and lasers. Sights are 3-dot tritium nightsights, featuring a tactical-rack rear in the 5” version, and a fully adjustable rear in the 6” model.

The Octo-Grip front strap and mainspring housing coupled with G10 VZ Grips assure a confident hold. Once the ambidextrous safety lever is flipped, the Springfield Armory Gen 2 Speed Trigger, tuned to a crisp 4.5- to 5-pound pull, delivers custom-grade feel and performance. The 10mm recoil is tamed by properly balancing the recoil impulse with a heavier slide/barrel combination in conjunction with an optimized recoil spring making it an unbelievably soft-shooting pistol. Each 10mm TRP Operator is shipped with two 8-round magazines.

The new 10mm TRP Operator models weigh in at 40 oz. (5-inch barrel) and 45 oz. (6-inch barrel), making these full-sized 1911 pistols soft-shooting and well-balanced options in a serious fighting handgun.

What gun are you looking forward to in 2018? Share your answer in the comment section.

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The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!'s blog, "The Shooter's Log," is to provide information-not opinions-to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!

Old School Gun-Geek

Dave, I’m still waiting to handle a Colt Cobra, which remains unobtanium in the gun shops around here. What would I *like* to see?

Colt produce a .357 with a 4″ or longer barrel again. Having shot a 6″ barreled Python recently, I can see what the hoopla was about. I wonder if Colt could do that again at a price mere mortals could afford?

John Thomas

I have a Glock 42 (.380) and a Sig Sauer P238 (.380) . The Glock has a slightly strong recoil but the Sig Sauer P238 does not have practically any recoil at all. The reason is in gun design but mostly the weight of the guns . The Sig Sauer P238 that I have is a HD Micro Compact that weighs 20.5 ounces. The Glock 42 weighs 13.76 ounces unloaded and 17,29 ounces loaded. I can control this gun OK but I feel much more comfortable with the Sig Sauer. The Sig is also more accurate. The reason for wanting a compact or subcompact gun is because I suffered a farm related accident in which part of my trigger finger and the following two fingers were amputated; therefore my fingers are not long enough to hold a full sized pistol. I wish that Sig Sauer or some other gun manufacturer would build a 9mm Sub Compact pistol that weighed at least 21 or 22 ounces. Presently the Sig Sauer P938 only weighs 16 ounces, thus a considerable recoil. Sig Sauer also makes a P238 in the Spartan Model that weighs 20 ounces, the remaining models of the P238 weigh only 15.2 ounces. It is surprising how much difference there is in the recoil of the pistol with just a few additional ounces of weight. So Sig Sauer please make a P938 in stainless steel that weighs around 21 or 22 ounces and I will buy one as soon as possible !!! I feel like I need more knock down power than the .380 delivers.

Mike moonitz

My pick for 2018 is the new Ruger PC9, 9mm rifle that is readily adaptable to use glock 19/17 mags. Nice features: quick detachable bbl, synthetic rifle type stock to avoid the ‘AR’ prohibitions in NY, fluted and threaded 16″ bbl, adjustable sights mounted on the bbl, ambi bolt handle. Already own a diamondback 9mm AR but will prob buy the PC9, assuming i,can find any. Should be a real hot item assuming Ruger doesnt mess up a good thing with a defect recall.

Jim in Conroe

My wife is enamored with the Taurus Spectrum, because – it has neat color combinations. She especially like the blue and white model featured on the cover of Guns and Ammo (I think, could have been some other gun mag). Unfortunately, it seems like they are not yet readily available in all of the color combinations in which they will be offered.

Dave

The Ruger resurrected 9x19mm pistol-caliber subcarbine looks good to me:
Can use either Ruger or Glock magazines, take-down so it it can be made compact, change-able buttstock length-of-pull to size it right for different shooters, muzzle nut so attachments can be used, looks much more thought-out than the previous iteration that tried to be an M1 carbine replacement or police patrol rifle. I hope Ruger is rewarded with good sales of this one.

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